Lucky Bastard by SG Browne

Seriously reconsidering his lot in life, Nick will be lucky to get out alive. With twists aplenty, this fast-paced adventure succeeds as both a hard-boiled homage and a paranormal romp.
-Publishers Weekly

Meet Nick Monday: a private detective who’s more Columbo than Sam Spade, more Magnum P.I. than Philip Marlowe. As San Francisco’s infamous luck poacher, Nick doesn’t know whether his ability to swipe other people’s fortunes with a simple handshake is a blessing or a curse. Ever since his youth, Nick has swallowed more than a few bitter truths when it comes to wheeling and dealing in destinies. Because whether the highest bidders of Nick’s serendipitous booty are celebrities, yuppies, or douche bag vegans, the unsavory fact remains: luck is the most powerful, addictive, and dangerous drug of them all. And no amount of cappuccinos, Lucky Charms, or apple fritters can sweeten the notion that Nick might be exactly what his father once claimed—as ambitious as a fart.

That is, until Tuesday Knight, the curvy brunette who also happens to be the mayor’s daughter, approaches Nick with an irresistible offer: $100,000 to retrieve her father’s stolen luck. Could this high-stakes deal let Nick do right? Or will kowtowing to another greedmonger’s demands simply fund Nick’s addiction to corporate coffee bars while his morality drains down the toilet? Before he downs his next mocha, Nick finds himself at the mercy of a Chinese mafia kingpin and with no choice but to scour the city for the purest kind of luck, a hunt more titillating than softcore porn. All he has to do to stay ahead of the game is remember that you can’t take something from someone without eventually paying like hell for it. . . .

S.G. Browne is the author of Breathers, Fated, and Lucky Bastard, and the Breathers sequel I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus, as well as the eBook story collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel. He lives in San Francisco. Follow the author on Twitter and Facebook, or visit SGBrowne.com.

San Francisco Chronicle

Reviewed by Gerald Bartell
on
Apr 23 2012

Though never pretentious, "Lucky Bastard" isn't always as breezy as it ought to be. Monday slows the pace by going on too much about luck, and repeats himself describing the highs of ingesting good luck.

The Agony Column

Reviewed by Rick Kleffel
on
May 03 2012

The real attraction here is Browne's prose voice, a snarky first-person monologue that is utterly entertaining, whether he's crushing PI clichés or musing on the permutations of his invented luck economy.

Buried Under Books

Opinionless

Reviewed by Aaron
on
May 18 2012

Lucky Bastard is hilariously superb achievement. S.G. Browne has delivered what is easily his best novel to date, one that keeps the reader in stiches and demands that they continue to turn page after glorious page as they inch their way ever closer to unraveling the mystery behind not only the forces currently driving Monday to poach for his life, but the very fabric of how luck itself works.

Fantasyy & Scifi Lovin' News & Reviews

Reviewed by SQT
on
May 24 2012

"Lucky Bastard" is a busy book that somehow manages to keep all the threads of the story under control...I might have wished for a little more introspection but it isn't really necessary in a book that exists to entertain and provide a few laughs- and "Lucky Bastard" does that extremely well.

Single Minded Women

Mourning Goats

Mar 02 2012

Lucky Bastard is a fantastic mix of noir and light-hearted humor. It’s a fast-paced, witty, book and I’m sure that if you haven’t already fell in love with the guy’s writing, this novel will push you over the edge.